Never a Failure
by Notorious T
Summary: Hinata is in the hospital after her loss in the Preliminary rounds, convinced that she's a failure. After all, if her cousin, sister, and father believe so it must be true, right? What can a blond haired boy say to convince her otherwise?


Never A Failure

AN: Ok, I'm asuming that if your reading this Oneshot you have a general understanding of The Naruto Anime and/or manga, otherwise you shouldn't be reading fanfiction, as it would cause to much confusion.

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><p><em>Failure. <em>Of all the words Hinata knew, she was familiar with this one the most. After all, why wouldn't she after it was told to her every day, by her father, sister, and cousin. Looking back, part of her knew it would come to this. She was never good enough, not for her father, not for her clan, not for anyone. She is known as a failure, the black sheep and disgrace of the Hyūga Clan.

Hinata sighed miserably as she shifted in her Hospital bed as she glanced at the blank ceiling. Three weeks. Its been two weeks since she fought her cousin Neji in the Chunnin Exam Preliminaries. Three weeks since she came inchies near death from her cousins hatred. She remembers his cruel, cold gaze as she battled him, battling to prove she wasn't a failure. But she failed, even with all her determination and training, she failed again. She was still an outcast, still a failure in her Families eyes.

She liked to believe however, that she wasn't a failure in _his _eyes.

_"Naruto-kun," _Hinata thought with a faint blush as she thought of the person she admired. Ater all, he was the one who convinced her to fight back against her cousin in the preliminary round, the one who convinced her to prove that she wasn't a failure. His fierce determination and cheering gave her the stregth to fight back against her bitter cousin, even though he almost killed her. She liked to believe that a failure like her had a chance aginst a genius like Neji. But even now, she was lodged in the hospital, with her frail heart recovering from her brutal match.

Still, it was the first time she ever stood up for herself, so it wasn't for nothing, right? But even so, the face remained that she failed, and she hated herself for it. For she, the pitiful Main Branch Heiress of the Hyūga Clan lost against Neji, One of Many Servants from the Branch Family. Another failure on her soul and name, another failure she would be belittled for. It was painfully clear to her that she wouldn't live up to her family expectations.

She just didn't know what to do anymore. Her thoughs of dignity were soon interupted when a few knocks came to her door. She winced as she shifted herself to sitting position while her chest burned in protest, as her heart, literaly and figurativly, were still weak.

"C-come in," Hinata said weakly as she prepared to talk with Kiba, Shino, or Kurenai-Sensei, her teammates that visited her almost daily. However, the person at the door was the last she expected to come see her.

"Na-Naruto-Kun?" Hinata asked with a blush as the Blond-Haired, Orange-wearing, Ramen-loving, Hyperavtive-Knuckle Head Ninja came through the door.

"Hey, Hinata," Naruto said with a faint smile as he sat down on one of the visitor chairs near her bed. Naruto appeared indifferent though as he sat down; for Hinata, however, this was like a dream come true. She couldn't help but hope in faint bliss that he came here because he cared.

"I-If you don't mind me asking," Hinata said shyly as she looked away from him. "Why did you come to V-Visit me?"

"I've come here to check up on you, Why? Can't I be concered about my friends?"

If Hinata was drinking, she certainly would have choked by his statement. "F-Friends?"

"Yeah," Naruto said with a faint grin. "You offered to let me cheat to pass the first part of the Exams and you gave me medical ointment for my wounds from my preliminary match. Dosn't that make us friends?"

"I-I guess," Hinata said weakly as she began to play with her fingers in nervousness.

There was an akward silence for several minutes before Naruto decided to break it.

"Listen, Hinata." Naruto said as he squirmed in his seat in hesitation. "Theres something thats been eating me up inside, I've come here to say," Naruto began as Hinata turned several shades of red at the possible senerios coming up. "I'm sorry."

"Nani?" Hinata asked in confusion before Naruto continued.

"Its my fault your here, I shouldn't have asked you to keep fighting in the Preleminary rounds when you were coughing up blood and dying. If I hadn't you would have forfeited and Neji wouldn't have..."

"S-stop, Naruto-kun," Hinata insisted with a slight cough and stutter. "That-s not t-true," she studdered in nervousness in front of her crush before continuing. "I-I would have continued the m-match, and y-you didn't control N-neji's actions."

"But why did he try to kill you? Aren't you two cousins?" Naruto questioned as Hinata fidgeted and stared down at her hands. She took several noticable breaths to calm down before turning her head back to him.

"N-Naruto, do you know how the Hyūga Clan is set u-up?" Hinata asked as Naruto made a perplexed face.

"What do you mean?" Naruto demanded as Hinata began her simple explanation.

"The Clan is split into the Main Family, who run the Clan, and the Branch Family, who are S-Servants forever to the Main Branch. I am from the Main Family, while Neji is cursed to be a s-sevant from the Branch family, and he blames me for his misfortune."

"But your the heiress of the Clan!" Naruto exclaimed. "Why would Neji try to kill you like that? Wouldn't he be punished for it?" Naruto asked. But he just noticed Hinata lower her head in shame with several tear running down her face.

"Y-you're wrong N-Naruto, I am no l-longer the heiress of the Clan, I-I'm too weak." She said as she began to openly cry while burying her face in her hands, as if to hide her tears.

"What are you saying?" Naruto demanded.

"F-For my Clan, The Clans I-Image and S-Standing is more I-important than treating each other f-fairly," Hinata explained tearfuly as she glanced at her sheets to see her teardrops collecting. "T-theres no room for weaklings like me, I-I've lost my right to be the H-heiress, no matter h-how hard I train, I am t-too soft to hurt anyone, I'm to p-pathetic. To them, I'm the failure and disgrace of the Clan. Y-You must think I'm pathetic." Hinata cried out, confessing the shame of her life to her crush.

To her shock, however, Naruto walked up and embraced her in a frindly hug that left her too shocked to blush. A completly foreign action to her. No one in her Clan has ever hugged her, not ever her mother when she was alive. But here was the boy that barely knew her, giving her a hug.

"You're to harsh on yourself." Naruto whispered as he realeshed her from his embrace. "Why would I think your pathetic? If anything, I understand you more. Don't listen to your Clan. Your not a failure."

"B-But I tried so hard to please the Clan, and they still hate me for being wea..."

"Your not weak!" Naruto shouted out at her, suprising and scaring her. "You risked your life and blood to fight your cousin and prove him wrong! How does that make you weak? Don't listen to your Clan, their so full of crap!"

"Naruto..." Hinata whispered in amazment and in the truth and confidence of what he was saying. But there was no stoping Naruto, he was on a roll.

"Don't let them tell you who you are! I saw strength and potential in you when you fought for your life in the Chunnin Exams!"

"N-Naruto," Hinata whispered softly as she began to fidget her fingers together. "Do you, r-really mean that?"

Naruto gave her a warm, genuine smile as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I meant every word, and I believe in you."

Hinata gapped at him for a few moments before she grabbed on him and pulled him into a hug, with Naruto's turn to be shocked.

"T-thank you, N-Naruto-kun," Hinata tearfully exclaimed as Naruto returned the embrace for a moment.

"Prove your clan wrong, Hinata." Naruto said as he open the window to jump out, as he snuck in to see her. "Come to the end of the exams in two weeks and I'll show you a failure like me can beat a genius like Neji. I'll see you around, Yeah?" And without waiting for her to respond, he jumped out the window.

A breeze ruffled Hinata's hair as she smiled in bliss as she drifted off to sleep. Little did Naruto know, that that was the most peaceful rest she had in years.


End file.
